Japlanning 101 - Theme Restaurants

July 4, 2013

In our home countries, when you hear themed restaurants, you probably think the likes of TGI Fridays, Planet Hollywood, or Moe’s Family Feedbag? Well, Japan has all of these (well, maybe not Moe’s Family Feedbag, they have America Town instead!) however these aren’t what we’re talking about when we say: Japan has the greatest, craziest and most unique themed restaurant experiences going around! Today we're going to look at a couple of the best and craziest that Tokyo has to offer.

In most of the world, the fad of themed restaurants really took off in the nineties with Planet Hollywood and Hard Rock Cafe leading the charge, then followed by others like the All-Star Sports Café, Rainforest Café, even a short lived supermodel café in New York. Due to the over-saturation of the market and extremely quick decline in popularity, many of these restaurants subsequently ended up shutting down over the years. The idea of sitting around a lot of memorabilia while paying for overpriced punny named food wasn’t a lasting fad.

Japlanning 101 - Maid Cafes

June 24, 2013

We have covered Cat Cafes and now it's time to uncover the cafe Japan is most famous for: the Maid Café. Originating in Japan, these cafes are very prominent in Akihabara, Tokyo and are an otaku's dream café.

If you happen to be in Akihabara and are looking for a distinctly Japanese experience, then venture no further than into one of the dozens of Maid Cafés in the electric city.

The first Maid Café, "Cure Maid Cafe", opened in Akihabara in 2001, and its massive popularity ensured many, many more opened fast, creating a sub set of cafés in the restaurant industry in Japan. Since 2001, they have opened all over Japan and internationally in China, South Korea, Taiwan, France, Mexico, the US and even Australia.

J Pop - AKB48

June 18, 2013

Japan is the home to the second biggest music market in the world. With over 4.4 billion dollars in sales last year, it’s time we took a look at some of the biggest names in Japanese pop!

Starting with one of the biggest selling groups in the world, who also hold the Guinness World Record for the Largest Pop Group, AKB48.

Japlanning 101 - Eating Fugu

June 15, 2013

Now, we probably all know about fugu, thanks to a classic Simpsons episode, however it was quite accurate. In that this deadly fish is prepared and eaten in Japan, and considered quite the delicacy.

The Fugu, or puffer fish, as it is more commonly known in English, is renowned for the poison is carries. It can be deadly to humans if consumed. The fugu, when prepared correctly is a delicacy to eat in Japan.

Japlanning 101 - Cat Cafés

June 12, 2013

You're not reading this incorrectly. Today we are looking at the amazing cafés that you'll probably only ever see in Japan: Cat Cafés.

What did you say? A cat café? You. Eat Cat??? No! Don't be crazy! Cat cafés are a café where you can buy time to enjoy the company of the fury four legged kind.

Here is a café culture very unique to Japan, where people can come and pay by the hour to visit the café, have a drink, a meal and be surrounded by up to 50 cats that live there. There are many of these cafés around Japan, with over 30 in Tokyo alone. Some have specific themes, such as only black cats, or fat cats, or all the cats are rescues or strays. These café’s are extremely popular with locals and tourists alike.

Japlanning 101 - Tokyo Disney Resort

June 1, 2013

It's time to wrap up our articles on the hapiest place in Japan, Tokyo Disney Resort. Today we'll give you the low down on the entire resort. The hotels, Shopping and dining outside the themeparks.

Tokyo Disney Resort's biggest draws are obviously the theme parks, Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea, as well as the other entertainment section, Ikspiari, which is modeled off other Disney resorts around the world and their Downtown Disney shopping, dining and entertainment district. It also has the Bon Voyage! complex, which is the official Disney merchandise location of Tokyo Disney Resort.